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So I just found out that irl!ranpo is gay????

So the story is that I was just scrolling through tumblr for a bit and found a post that say(questioning) that ranpo is gay and I was like

"Wait,Huh? WHAT!??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN IRL!RANPO IS GAY!??"

(Here the link if you wondering)

I was shocked I was completely shocked like my mind was just repeating a sentence

"Irl!ranpo is GAY??!"

So I calm down a bit go to Google and search and found a reddit post kinda explaining the part "irl!ranpo is gay"

So the gist of it was ranpo and his friend name Iwata who was anthropologist that spent years researching the history of homosexuality in Japan, during the 1930s edogawa and Iwata had a competition to see who could find the most books about erotic desire between man.

Edogawa dedicated himself finding books published in the west and Iwata dedicated himself finding books published in japan

But unfortunately, iwata died in 1945 leaving with only part of his work published so edogawa worked to have the remaining work on queer historiography published.

And there was also this too "Vision and Putrescence: Edogawa Rampo Rereading Edgar Allan Poe"(you will also find this in the reddit post link that I put up there) that talk about his sexual indentity and heterosexual love? (Idk know how to explain it though but if i have to sum it up I will take a page from the reddit post and said "A quote verifying that Edogawa Ranpo was almost certainly gay.")

This is why I love irl author fact so much like, they have things about them that we don't know yet and when we find out it just leave us completely shocked

Like seriously iam so completely shocked right now to the point that iam completely ignoring my homework to write this

(Also a reminder iam not a researcher who did some kind of in depth research about this, this post is just me finding some kind of fact about irl!author if there is any misconception then iam sorry also if you want to discuss more about this then feel free to comment in the tag or the comment section but I will not accept any hate comment if you don't like it just scrolled past it this will not affect your life)

P.S: while I was writing this I just remember that I have some post that I haven't finished and edited or post yet but if you curious about it then I could said one is about kinda related to jouno, one is atsushi and one is just random, I might post it if I have the motivation but maybe it will take a while

Please, if you can, take a moment to read and share this because I feel like I'm screaming underwater.

NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) stigma is rampant right now, and seems to be getting progressively worse. Everyone is using it as a buzzword in the worst ways possible, spreading misinformation and hatred against a real disorder.

I could go on a long time about how this happened, why it's factually incorrect (and what the disorder actually IS), why it's harmful, and the changes I'd like to see. But to keep this concise, I'll simply link to a few posts under the cut for further reading.

The point of this post is a plea. Please help stop the spread of stigma. Even in mental health communities, even around others with personality disorders, in neurodivergent "safe" spaces, other communities I thought people would be supportive in (e.g. trans support groups, progressive spaces in general), it keeps coming up. So I'm willing to bet that a lot of people on this site need to see this.

Because it's so hard to exist in this world.

My disorder already makes me feel as if I'm worthless and unlovable, like there's something inherently wrong and damaged about me. And it's so much harder to fight that and heal when my daily life consists of:

Laughing and spending time with my friends, doing my utmost best to connect and stay present and focused on them, trying to let my guards down and be real and believe I'm lovable- when suddenly they throw out the word "narcissist" to describe horrible people or someone they hate, or the conversation turns to how evil "people with narcissistic personality disorder" are. (Seriously, you don't know which of your friends might have NPD and feels like shit when you say those things & now knows that you'd hate them if you knew.)

Trying to look up "mental health positivity for people with npd", "mental health positivity cluster bs", only to find a) none of that, and b) more of the same old vile shit that makes me feel terrible about myself.

Having a hard time (which is constant at this point) and trying to look up resources for myself, only to again, find the same stigma. And no resources.

Not having any clue how to help myself, because even the mental health field is spitting so much vitriol at people with DISORDERS (who they're supposed to be helping!) that there's no solid research or therapy programs for people like me.

Losing close friends when they find out, despite us having had a good relationship before, and them KNOWING me and knowing that I'm not like the trending image of pwNPD. Because now they only see me through the lens of stigma and misinformation.

Hearing the same stigma come up literally wherever I go. Clubs. Meetings. Any online space. At the bus stop. At the mall. At a restaurant. At work. Buzzword of the year that everyone loooves loudly throwing around with their friends or over the phone. Feels awesome for me, makes my day so much better/s

I could go on for a long time, but I'm scared no one will read/rb this if it gets too much longer.

So please. Stop using the word "narcissist" as a synonym for "abusive".

Stop bringing up people you hate who you believe to have NPD because of a stigmatizing article full of misinformation whenever someone with actual NPD opens their mouth. (Imagine if people did that with any other disorder! "Hey, I'm autistic." "Oh... my old roommate screamed at me whenever I made noise around him, and didn't understand my needs, which seems like sensory overload and difficulty with social cues. He was definitely autistic. But as long as you're self-aware and always restraining your innate desire to be an abusive asshole, you're okay I guess, maybe." ...See how offensive and ignorant that is?)

Stop preventing healthcare for people with a disorder just because it's trendy to use us as a scapegoat.

If you got this far, thank you for reading, and please share this if you can. Further reading is under the cut.

NPD Criteria, re-written by someone who actually has NPD

Stigma in the DSM

Common perception of the DSM criteria vs how someone may actually experience them (Keep in mind that this is the way I personally experience these symptoms, and that presentation can vary a lot between individuals)

"Idk, the stigma is right though, because I've known a lot of people with NPD who are jerks, so I'm going to continue to support the blockage of treatment for this condition."

(All of these were written by me, because I didn't want to link to other folks' posts without permission, but if you want to add your own links in reblogs or replies please feel free <3)

I bring great new

It look like we going to get a new light novel and it gonna be an adaption of the main event in the manga(or anime?)

So that mean we have to prepare ourselves when this come out cause the thing about bsd light novel is that they describe what happening(the characters, the emotion,etc) very good to the point that it make me want to curl up and cry (stormbringer, beast,...)

(But really though Iam gonna be so excited for this when it come out but then I realized I'm in another country so that mean I can't buy and read it T_T)

Okay I have some question here do you guy remember there scene where sigma is taking information from fyodor

And if I remember correctly sigma's ability is trading the information that he want but the other also get what they want right

So here the real question what information did fyodor get

Look at the first two panel and as you can see sigma was getting a rapid information from fyodor and then we got to the scene where fyodor was holding sigma in the palm of his hand

The scene where fyodor was holding sigma tick me the most

People say that a scene when someone is holding someone in the hand kinda symbolize power or upper hand right?

But is there something else too like another meaning(?)

So I look at it again and think sigma was like getting a torrent of information here right and he look like he was in an information space(?) And then we got the scene where fyodor is holding sigma and looking very pleased of what is happening

I was like wait is fyodor getting the information too

Cause when sigma fainted after he tell himself that he need to tell the agency(applause for him cause really he hasn't been in the agency yet and he already think to tell them)

And then we get a expression of a very unsatisfied fyodor (idk im not good with expression so I guess the face he was making at the end is unsatisfied)

Like he was unsatisfied with the information that he got.

I didn't see anyone talk about this yet, I know dazai (supposed) death surprised you guy and then all of you decided to be an doctor, surgeon or anything to prove that dazai is not dead but really we need to focus on something else too

(That didn't mean that I didn't like all the dazai analysis chap 109 thing, it was quite fun to read it but you know that there another arc that asagiri gonna work on when this arc is done right also I see someone pointing out that we are falling into the same trick as chap 101)

P.S: did I get fed up when nobody is talking about it and then do it- yes, I did

Edit: I just see someone talk about this scene when I was just done doing this lol so I guess someone already talk about it

Also here the link if you interested

Something that been on my mind

Warning: there maybe some grammar mistake in this cause english isn't my first language and also iam not an analyst or theorists or anything is just that I just want to get this out of my mind

The new bsd manga cover is out and I just realized something

The upside down pose of atsushi and if I remember correctly what happened in volume 21 is equivalent to "sh*t is going down" and if iam right then volume 24 is a manga cover for chap 105 to 109 (unless there another chapter coming out but it will be in September so i just gonna put it like that) also equivalent to "things are turning to the worse" kinda like volume 21.

I'm not an analyst or anything but it will be great for someone to do an analysis on this

It just atsushi is being upside down in the volume manga cover lately and there have to some hint for it cause harukawa art always have meaning or some parallel for something

Also if I remember correctly there are a tarot mayoi card for atsushi and his cards is the fool

(Credit the art to the game bungou lost tales)

I remember someone already did an analysis on this card so I'm just gonna link it later

So here is the meaning of the fool

- UPRIGHT: (new) beginnings, freedom/free-spirited, adventure, travel, originality, innocence, foolishness, carelessness, idealism, youth, spontaneity, lack of commitment.

- REVERSED: recklessness/risk-taking, carelessness, negligence, stupidity, distraction, apathy, irrationality, lack of fun/hope/faith, holding back.

With what is going on in the manga and atsushi upside down pose in the new manga volume I gonna go with the reversed one

The lack of fun/hope/faith are what is currently happen in right now in the manga and the holding back thing is kinda related to how atsushi have to hold back so he can't hurt akutagawa (it in chapter 108) i guess but the other I'm not so sure

Like I say I'm not an analyst it just when I see the new manga cover my thought just spiraled to this

And here is the link to the analysis about the tarot mayoi card

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BSD Mayoi’s Tarot Cards

I really liked BSD Mayoi’s approach to the tarot card theme and the beautiful artwork they put in there. Therefore, I decided to take a clos

We also need someone to talk about this too

(Credit the art to harukawa sango)

This is the new illustration art of harukawa and the first thing that I notice is why fukuchi scar is yellow the same color of atsushi eyes and fukuchi scar here is like a claw mark however maybe it was just a scar when he was fighting with the ability experiment "werewolves" or the semi-immortal ability user "wasp" (it in chapter 82) but why the claw scar is yellow and atsushi eyes is also yellow here so that gonna mean something

I also see a post talking about this too

And here

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I Like to Write Things

Actually regarding Atsushi's multicoloured eyes, I did notice something awhile back and I just... Vol 20: Colour of Atsushi's eyes closest

Also I hope that you guys still remember that the DOA still have the page right

And they gonna write on the back of the page at the next full moon

(I don't know what time it is in the current chapter but I guess it not the day of the full moon yet)

The real question is why DID they chose the next full moon they could have chose any day but why (I did see some questions about this too)

Now what are the thing about full moon that we are all know about

Yep that's right atsushi ability

I also want to add this: "he was actually transforming into a white tiger under the moonlight due to his ability" (Credit to wiki)

And who is holding the page right now- yes is fukuchi

But is he really the one holding the page, I see some post point it out that the page is blank or quite clear like it didn't even have any word on it so we have another question it is really the page

We also see another person shroud by darkness and writing on the page

We don't know yet if this person is affiliated with doa or fyodor or they are someones that haven't been revealed yet or the creator of the book itself

So is the page that fukuchi holding is just a decoy(a fake page?) And the real one is being keep at somewhere else because it is something that are super valuable, and you can't just keep it on yourself all the time cause what if something unexpected happen

Does that mean that there are gonna be some connection revealed or an answer to some questions that have been unanswered or just a foreshadowing for something that gonna happen later in the manga

I guess we just have to wait though cause I remember a translate of a interview with asagiri and he say that doa arc is not the end and there are going to be a "order of the clock tower" arc but I'm not sure.

(And also resolve some mystery about atsushi cause he have so many hole in his backstory and there so many question about him that haven't been answer)

P.S: I want to write more about it but my mind just got overload-like I was having a very bad headache and my eyes feel kind of sleepy

Also did I do this analysis (theory) post as the same time as the the other one- yes (you know what maybe that the reason why i was having a headache i mean doing both analysis(theory) at the same time can leave you quite tired), do I really need a break- yes...maybe it just I have so many to do right now and I really want to but my mind just blank so yeah I might take a break

Just a thought

Warning: there maybe bad grammar in this so I hope you don't mind and also I'm not an analyst (theorist) or anything so don't expect to much

I was just reading an in-depth analysis on the bsd official Twitter layout

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An in-depth Analysis on the Bungo Stray Dogs official Twitter layout

MAJOR SPOILER WARNINGS Keep reading

While I was reading I just focus on the part of the hanging feet Pic so I decided to just stare at the official Twitter layout more closely so that I can get this tick off my mind and also rereading the analysis (being forgettable sometimes suck)

So uh I searched up the word for "hanging" and found out some similar word and opposite of it

But the one that kinda interest me the most was the word "suspended"

Then my mind(brain?) just whisper to me another word "upside down" (idk how my mind do that iam not a psychologist or a neurologist)

And I remember that "wait there is a volume cover of atsushi in a upside down pose

And yup I think I found what it's ticking my brain

(I wanted to add the new volume cover too but I think this work better)

If you read the analysis that I mention at the start you noticed that atsushi and the body that hanging have page surround them

So what am I try to implied here

Well you see is just that I noticed the lower part of the hanging body have page surround underneath them

While atsushi have page surround at the upper part of his body

Also the body in the first image is hanging upright(?) above the page while atsushi is like suspended (dangling?) upside down around(?) it

It like they have a pose that very similar just opposite and they have page scattered around them

Are the author are trying to hint(foreshadowing) us about something

Or maybe I'm just thinking too much

I don't know what iam (or my mind) try to do here, it just I want to get this off my mind though so this is just a thought (is this a pun see it how you like :))) )

You can also talk or comment about this if you want this is just some half-baked idea that my mind just come up.

(Maybe that this is a hint(foreshadowing) about the connection(or something that will happen) between sigma, the mysterious person, atsushi and the book- you will know what I mean if you read the analysis at the start)

LMFAO WHY IS AUTHOR ATSUSHI NAKAJIMA MENTIONED UNDER THE CAST OF BSD

Hey remember when they found over 200 bodies of native children buried behind a residential school and the world cared for... what, a week?

They've counted about 6,000-7,000 now, for those of you who do still care

Something that been on my mind

Warning: I'm not an analyst (theorist) or anything and english is not my first language so there might be some grammar mistakes

Is the third eyes in chapter 109 is indicate about something

Cause when dazai get shot in the middle of his head the wound in the middle kind of resemble a third eyes

And then we switch to scene where fukuchi is opening the one order, it also has a third eyes

Do you think it kinda weird that after dazai getting shot in the head we switched to one order form revealed

And it also being hint in volume 22 too

Here a close up if you didn't notice it

See if you look at the eyes in the middle and count dazai and fyodor eyes too It will made a third eyes

It might be hinting about what the one order will be like but I think there will be more than that

The one order I quite understand how it work that it can control somebody to do something (am I describing it ability right I'm just writing this based on what I remember lol)

For dazai well when I thought about it my mind just came up with this image

But why, why my mind just came up with this image, so I search the meaning of third eyes and the meaning of angel (Credit to wiki also I don't know if anything it say it's accurate so if there anything wrong sorry)

Here the meaning of third eyes:

The third eye (also called the mind's eye or inner eye) is a mystical invisible eye, usually depicted as located on the forehead, which provides perception beyond ordinary sight. In Hinduism, the third eye refers to the ajna (or brow) chakra. In both Hinduism and Buddhism, the third eye is said to be located around the middle of the forehead, slightly above the junction of the eyebrows, representing the enlightenment one achieves through meditation

The third eye refers to the gate that leads to the inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. In spirituality, the third eye often symbolizes a state of enlightenment. The third eye is often associated with religious visions, clairvoyance, the ability to observe chakras and auras, precognition, and out-of-body experiences.

Here is the meaning of angel (actually there are more but it just about what angel mean in different country so I just put in the general one, you can go on wiki to search if you like):

In various theistic religious traditions, an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.

Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include protectors and guides for humans, such as guardian angels, and servants of God. Abrahamic religions describe angelic hierarchies, which vary by religion and sect. Some angels have specific names (such as Gabriel or Michael) or titles (such as seraph or archangel). Those expelled from Heaven are called fallen angels, distinct from the heavenly host.

Angels in art are usually shaped like humans of extraordinary beauty, though this is not always the case—sometimes, they can be portrayed in a frightening, inhuman manner. They are often identified in Christian artwork with bird wings, halos, and divine light.

And uh I did found out some similarities

"The third eye refers to the gate that leads to the inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness."

"Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity."

The third eyes are like a gate to inner realms while angel are like an intermediaries between God or heaven in humanity aren't they like kinda work the same

Does that mean that there are a third-party involve or this is a hint for something big is gonna happen

Now who is the angel that dazai mention, I did see someone already did an analysis on this and say it ango

Here the link

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A deeper look on why Dazai called Ango an ‘angel’

SPOILERS TILL CHAPTER 101.

But I want to look more deeper into this and I found this post

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amodernpersephone

Ooh, this is interesting. I never stepped into thinking Dazai and Atsushi were connected by some form of telepathy. And finally! Someone tal

They are discussing about are atsushi and dazai connected in a psychic way that make me think "interesting"

Also are there any mention of "an angel" before

The answer is yes

(Credit for burahai translation)

(Credit for the dead apple movie cause I can't find the manga part)

The angel that shibusawa and dazai say here is atsushi and with the theory that atsushi and dazai is connected in psychic way, it gonna be quite a surprise when if it true

And dazai is also holding atsushi as a trump card in the volume 22 cover too

But what or who are connecting them, some say it the book some say it someone else that hasn't been revealed yet

So in conclusion there are three option of who is the angel that dazai is talking about :

1. Ango

2.Atsushi

3.some unknown person that hasn't been revealed yet

(There are a post say that the time manipulation ability thief is the angel but it just doesn't make sense to me sorry)

Also I was also focusing on this

"Angels in art are usually shaped like humans of extraordinary beauty, though this is not always the case—sometimes, they can be portrayed in a frightening, inhuman manner"

The part where they say angel can be portrayed in a frightening, inhuman manner make think of the one order cause of it design

But it also can describe this person here

(I noticed this because I was scrolling through some bsd analysis and found this

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An in-depth Analysis on the Bungo Stray Dogs official Twitter layout

MAJOR SPOILER WARNINGS Keep reading

You can check if you like, it an in-depth analysis for bsd official Twitter layout and they mention this person too)

And i want you to focus on the T/N part

Is this some clue about who he could be, to be honest I don't know cause I'm not an expert about famous author(writer) in real life but I think so

It also say that angel usually shaped like human so how about we combine it with "frightening, inhuman manner" then we get something quite creepy indeed

And this person was shrouded in complete darkness and also using imperfect Japanese which is also kind of creepy if you think about it

I don't know if it gonna be right when there is a revealed though I just remember about this guy when I was going through some bsd analysis (but this is just a bsd theory so there gonna be some right or wrong)

I know that there something else there but I can't explain it, something that tick me off

Or maybe that there is somehow someway that dazai is connected to the one order

Also dazai actually kinda tampered with the one order when fukuchi received it so maybe he did tampered with something else too

(I don't know if the tampering thing is correct, it just the description part about angel just tick me off about something but I can't think of it.)

Well I guess that is all, you can discuss about this if you want, this thing it just in my mind for a while and I just want to get it out

Thank you for reading and hope you have a nice day

Yes I did have an happy reading

It was so interesting and so good though

Also you have a very nice writing style and more organized than me actually

I kinda have to check my draft again and again to see if I did any grammar mistake or it is kind of readable (organized)

But enough of that you have a very nice writing style and gather so much interesting history about bsd author

So uh kudos for you (idk what to say I the end though I hope this will suffice).

I have some funfact

I don't know if anyone remember this but I was rereading some of the chapter and I see this note

And yup like the note say is was quite ironic for them to be like this

I think other than the two fukus they really should put fukufuku too but it a note so meh

@pompompurin1028 here is what I discovered about Fukuchi Gen'chirou last night HAHA it's quite long so I decided to dedicate a post for it

thoughts on the life of Fukuchi Gen'ichirou/Ouchi

Below the cut is a half-essay half-ramble about the biography of one of Meiji Japan's pioneers. A lot of it consists of comparisons with Fukuzawa Yukichi, another famous intellectual of the day, and of course, their BSD counterparts. If you're curious as to where I got this information, I'll be posting the sources in the replies of this post

notes: contains MAJOR spoilers for BSD S4 and the manga!

Fukuchi Gen'ichirou (1841-1906), penname Fukuchi Ouchi was, like his better-known contemporary Fukuzawa Yukichi (1835-1901), one of the leading advocates for modernization of Meiji-era Japan. Both were men of many talents that dabbled in several fields such as diplomacy and politics, but Fukuchi is most recognized for his contributions as a journalist and editor of the Tokyo Nichi Nichi (Tokyo Daily), earning him the title “Father of the Modern Japanese Press.” 

A young Fukuchi was in high pursuit of the Western ideal. He grew up under the Tokugawa shogunate and studied what children of his time were made to learn: memorization of Confucian classics, calligraphy, and Chinese literature. As such, it was no surprise that it was his instinct to nearly reject all forms of Japanese tradition once he began his Dutch studies (rangaku) and even went so far as to leave his hometown to continue his studies in the capital, Edo. After learning Dutch and English, he worked as an interpreter for the shogunate - a path many scholars then would frown upon. This is not unlike Fukuzawa’s own beginnings, I must add. 

[I would like to note that during the isolationist Edo period of Japan, the only access they had to Western goods and thought were through the Dutch: the only Westerners they traded with. However by the 1850s, even the most well-studied Japanese in rangaku would have fallen behind as most of the advancements, brought about by the arrival of the Americans, would have required the knowledge of English.] 

As the years passed, however, what used to bring him such euphoria then began to wear him down. Interacting with these Westerners whom he so idolized only to be met with insensitive and tyrannical people sparked Fukuchi’s disillusionment. For example, merchants were considered to be one of the lowest classes in Tokugawa Japan, yet these Western merchants acted as if they were in the same league as the emperor. In his own words: “They made us furious. They were proud, rude, antagonizing barbarians.” 

This would bring Fukuchi to some sort of blend between Eastern and Western thought. The goal was, as it had always been, the strengthening and modernization of Japan, but that did not require a total upheaval of their traditional values. Only a selection of Western methods would work. This may seem like a reasonable compromise (as a similar strain of logic could be found in Fukuzawa’s own writing), but as we shall see later this blend is not as harmonious as it seems.

When the shogunate was overthrown by the Meiji government in 1868, Fukuchi established a newspaper (a “modern-style” one at that) to defend the Tokugawa family and to criticize the new government. This would be the beginning of his career as one of the foremost journalists and critics of the time. He believed that:

"If I were to take up writing with the brush, using the newspaper as my medium I might eventually see my ideas realized in society."

Now let’s discuss: “what tf is a modern-style newspaper?”

Up to the early Meiji period, newspapers were viewed as “low forms of entertainment” that educated men of high class should not bother thinking about. Political editorials were superior to “news” as the latter usually compromised what we’d consider as gossip. Fukuchi, still bred in Western thought, had a different idea: objective news reporting is just as valid as political write-ups. As he said,

“Newspapers are the eyes and ears of the world, the movers of mankind”

There are two types of staff for these newspapers: the “real writers,” those who wrote political editorials, and the illiterate “news” gatherers. In his newspaper Fukuchi made even the former type to go on the hunt for “real news,” and because of this and the coverage of the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion, he is considered to be one of the first war correspondents (which is, btw, one of Kunikida’s early jobs. just had to plug that in sorry HAHA. it’s a good enough job tho, that’s my point). 

But this did not mean that he viewed the two forms as equal. The front page was still dedicated to commentaries and opinions rather than plain news. This may be attributed to the fact that “he was reared in a country and era where public service was defined not in terms of aiding society, but of assisting the bureaucracy of government.” His editorials were sharp and bold, despite the new laws restricting press freedom, criticizing the current Meiji government and advocating for a parliamentary government and international trade. Like many other critics such as Suehiro Tetchou, he would end up in jail for some time.

Being a journalist and editor gave him a voice and eventually political influence and power. As Fukuchi would repeat over and over again,

"If one cannot become prime minister one should become a journalist."

He would join and become president of the first prefectural assembly in 1879, the same one Fukuzawa joined but left only a year later to focus on “the need to develop an independent intelligentsia,” such as managing the school he founded (which would later become Keio University). Perhaps he had sensed that this political body would do essentially nothing - one thing that Fukuchi did not or perhaps refuse to recognize. He felt that this assembly, as well as the conservative party he founded in 1882, were the “right” balance of Eastern ethics and Western methods he had so dreamed of. 

Huffman and Brown have noted in their writings that Fukuchi’s personality was “less than admirable.” I’d like to believe that this is one of the main driving factors for the philosophies he’d held in his life; it just fits so perfectly. For one, his sense of fashion was close to that of a Western dandy (see pic below) but the customs he preferred were very Japanese (tea, architecture).

Fig. 1 Fukuchi in his old age (left) and a woodblock print of him in Kyushu 1873 (right)

Huffman notes that this may not strike one as strange, but the symbolisms are very much clashing. He’d also “strut openly with geisha, throwing money away,” according to Mori Ougai, despite his conviction in being a “high class man.” Another contradictory trait of Fukuchi’s is his penchant for criticizing officials for having their favorites, yet he has his own “feudal” tendencies and maintained his inability to be “objective and cool-headed.” As his friend and Fukuzawa’s rival Itou Hirobumi said,

“If you would just quit acting so much like a loyal retainer, Fukuchi, you might be named to a post like foreign minister!”

This intensity and disjointed personality is similar to the Fukuchi of the Bungou Stray Dogs universe. On one hand he’s wacky, hot-headed, and highly unpredictable, but on the other hand he’s calculating, cold, and cunning. Both are highly ambitious as well and would sit at positions of power for “national tranquility.” 

Now you might be wondering why a pioneer such as Fukuchi doesn’t receive as much recognition now compared to his peers, like Fukuzawa Yukichi, the face of the 10000 yen bill. Huffman lists a few possible reasons for this such as 1.) His aforementioned “disagreeable” personality, 2.) His failure to concentrate his energy into any one particular cause or field (back and forth with writing for the newspaper, fiction (Mirror Lion, the BSD ability), and somewhere lingering about in politics). But I believe those listed by Brown ring truer to the reality of it all: mainly, that his interests remained political and diplomatic, incapable of stirring much change in Japanese society. 

Honestly, I couldn’t really tell what exactly Fukuchi’s ideals were. Maybe I just don’t understand politics or history enough, but I just find reading about the rapid and contradictory changes in his actions is just confusing. For example, Fukuchi would become pro-Meiji government for a time, although the likely explanation is that he did find some policies he agreed with. A better example yet is he’d advocate for a constitutional government, then later draft a document securing absolute power to the Emperor. This contradiction may be solved, at least according to Huffman, by considering Fukuchi’s view on the Japanese monarchy: its sovereignty is “unlike European tyranny” since he believed in the benevolence of the Emperor. It would “violate Japanese history” to believe otherwise. Is it absolute faith in his country’s sovereignty that drove him here? Or stubbornness and naïveté? Whichever the answer was, the changing tides of the era would drive him out of his own mind… literally.

After 1882, newspapers that prioritized faithful and objective reporting of news, like Fukuzawa’s Jiji Shimpou (Current Events), would soon dominate as public interest in politics declined significantly. Fukuchi’s obstinacy in maintaining the old ways did harm for the Nichi Nichi, lowering sales and eventually forcing the company to fire him. This makes sense from a business perspective, but from a highly traditional Japanese viewpoint, it is “an act of tyranny.” He left the political scene a bitter man.

There is another immediate reason for Fukuzawa’s lasting impact. Despite having similar goals with Fukuchi, Fukuzawa had someone to pass on his ideas to: an English translator and biographer to record his life, his own sons (Sutejirou took over his father’s newspaper, Momosuke, although adopted, became a successful businessman and brought hydroelectric power to the nation), and of course, the university he founded: Keio University. BSD’s Fukuzawa has the ADA to carry on his visions and his life’s purpose, while Fukuchi’s sham of an organization already had two turn their backs on him. (Not sure where Teruko and Tetcho lie as of now, although I think Teruko would be the only one to stick with Fukuchi to the end to some extent, even though irl Fukuchi and Suehiro had a lot in common). 

Ultimately, I think that BSD Fukuchi’s demise will be brought about by his arrogance and ambition. Not having any true convictions, goals, or family, he’ll have nothing to fall on once he slips from the tremendous summit he made for himself.

There might be redemption for him, though. I’ve shared in a different post the following quote:

"When Fukuzawa died, Fukuchi wrote rather plaintively:  In 1874, when I was editing Tokyo Nichi Nichi, he said to me, 'You have taken up the newspaper business; that is wonderful. Be careful though not to get tied too much to the government. If you become too closely tied, they will mislead you.' In the end, they did... Ah, you were a good friend, a trustworthy friend. You did not let me down; I let you down."

Perhaps BSD Fukuchi would realize that his jealousy and hatred for his long-time and only true friend was based on nothing. But as to whether or not it will happen soon, we’ll only have to wait and see.

oh okay. heart steps right out of my chest and falls down the stairs

I don't know why but the idea of Akutagawa and Atsushi running away from everything and everyone after they realize they're in love is so appealing to me.

Like imagine they confess and decide they're going to be together under the radar so neither the ADA nor PM knows about them, just Kyouka and Gin because little sisters (and Rampo cus he knows everything)

And in one mission against each other, the ADA vs PM, they fight each other but not fight-fight and Dazai and Chuuya question that weird fight and they don't say anything (that was the deal) but get kinda reprimanded for it.

Later, when they see each other, they come to the understanding that while on different sides, this will continue to happen, but neither want to join the other organization.

Atsushi: "What if we run away?"

Akutagawa: "What?"

Atsushi: "What if I go to my dorm, pick up my stuff, come back here for you, and we leave Yokohama? Together"

Akutagawa says Ok, honestly, he had been thinking about it, but didn't know how to bring it up without scaring Atsushi. So they leave, only Kyouka and Gin know their whereabouts, but neither is going to talk.

Rampo pretend he doesn't know and tell Poe to send them money until they get a job o something.

Wow that was some interesting bsd author history funfact

Also don't worry about the rambled thing I appreciate it beside it was very entertaining to learn more about bsd author irl

I will be waiting waiting for the link to the post cause seriously funfact about real life author kinda fun (also you don't have to rush to do it, take a break if you need)

I have some funfact

I don't know if anyone remember this but I was rereading some of the chapter and I see this note

And yup like the note say is was quite ironic for them to be like this

I think other than the two fukus they really should put fukufuku too but it a note so meh

REREADING TIME

You know when you reading the manga again and reading it at a more slowed-focused or relaxed pace you can found something quite interesting

So here a funfact (is this count as funfact)

Did you know that bram was speaking Shakespearean

Sometimes I just forgot that this fine man *coughfinespecimencough* is a century old vampire

Also my favorite panel is gonna be this two

HE WAS SO SMUG ABOUT THE FACT THAT AYA CAN'T GET A RADIO THEN SHE JUST PULL OUT SOMETHING THAT IS MORE POWERFUL THAN A RADIO TO THE POINT THAT HE WAS STARING INTO SPACE AND SAYING THAT AYA IS A GOD

This man just want to listen to music and leaving in peace (also who do you think is the artist that he listen to taylor swift, katy perry, billie eilish, Britney spears, nicki minaj, Madonna, ABBA, marina or mother herself lana, I might do a poll for this)

I also want his V.A (I mean the english one cause in my opinion Shakespearean is english but more butchered,don't attack me about this english isn't my first language and the Japanese one can't do it you know cause they are speaking Japanese no hate for them ) to do this too but this is such a small detail I fear that bones are not gonna do it though

Bonus:

Here have an image of him being smug and silly

Bram just describe us when we being in a mood or didn't have enough sleep (being sleepy) or being too embarrassed that make us want to dig a hole or when we are just so done with the world

He just so moody and silly and that why we love him

P.S: we need a duo name for bram and aya cause I like they dynamic so much but I just can't think of a name for them

Edit: i did a poll on who bram will be listening to, here a link if you wanna vote

Tumblr

imgonnabetheprettiestpersonintheparty

i did mention in my "rereading time" post that i gotta do a poll so here it is: what artist do you think bram is listening to...

An in-depth Analysis on the Bungo Stray Dogs official Twitter layout

MAJOR SPOILER WARNINGS

Keep reading

there’s something extra tragic about tachiharas death/turning in that it comes at the hands of both his commanders

the literal killing is done by the person who he followed for years, who picked him off the streets, who gave him orders and missions and literally changed who he was

and the orders come from the boss who took him back after he betrayed them, who had sunk his claws into his older brother and used him til he broke (something tachihara still doesn’t know)

and his end comes with not a single close connection. the black lizard squad are all vampires too, and even more so he betrayed them (even if they never knew) and didn’t allow himself to fully enjoy the bonds he made with them. his place in the hunting dogs was soured by fukuchis betrayal, and because of it he had to betray them too. he couldn’t be a hunting dog anymore. he lost two families in one day.

and fukuchi couldn’t even let him die on his own terms. he had to take his choices away one last time.

I saw a post that found some parallel in the new manga cover

Here the parallel they found

I don't know where the first image come from but I remember it in a drawing about fallen angel or something

So uh ranpo corruption arc or fallen angel ranpo arc is coming up (I think I like the name fallen angel ranpo arc more lol)

Ranpo stan gotta be feed well if that did happen

But for real tho it would be cool if there is a ranpo corruption arc after what happen, especially after what happen to fukuzawa (his dad) and his family right now

REREADING TIME

I just noticed how different fukuchi design is when he was introduced to us and now

Then:

Now:

Harukawa just did a glow up for him

This man is now officially a dilf (like fukuzawa)

Bonus:

Here have some cursed image of fukuchi when he didn't become a dilf yet

The difference between skk nation and skkk nation when chapter 109 was released on August 3rd

Skk nation:

They are a variety of skk stan that when seeing this

there are the "dazai will live" one, the "theory and analysis" one, the "I will pull out anything to prove that dazai is alive" one, the "finally that hoe is dead" one, the "dazai hater", the "destined to be what dazai" one, the "this will be a good angst material" one, the artist, the editor, the "dazai will die" one, the "screaming to the void" one, the "wondering what is going on" one, the "delulu" one, the "fanfic writer" one, the "there are no chapter 109" one, the " that didn't happen they are married and are living happily ever after" one, the one who is coping, the "depressed" one, the "are you happy asagiri" one, the one who don't care, the one who are just enjoying the chaos, the one who just join and don't know what is happening, the "meme" one, the one who got triple combo because they are in the good omens jjk and bsd fandom, the "wow we did we just got trending because of what happening right now" one, the "we still trending that chapter really broke us huh" one, the "that gay" one, the "You guys know that we are falling for the same trick that asagiri pull in chap 101 right" one, and many more

( I know that there are more but I just mainly see the "dazai will live" one, the "delulu" one and the "theory and analysis" . There are one that are kinda out of context and i also want to put more but i just gonna stop here, you can add them if you want)

Skkk nation:

So uh skkk stan reaction to this is quite the same so I just gonna sum this up in three letter

✨️✨️Gay✨️✨️

(If you want to be more specific here are the skkk stan more specific reaction when they see this:

The "look at how rashomon is wrapping around atsushi waist and how slu- I mean how fine it is" one, the "another reason on how rashomon can be use at a bondage" one, the "they are gonna make out" one, the one who say that atsushi being tied up so tighly and telling akutagawa it not time for "it", the one who commented that akutagawa is carrying atsushi bridal style and saying they are getting married, the "look at how gently or slowly akutagawa is elevating/lying down his bf" one, the "wow that couldn't be even gayer" one, etc while ignoring how injured atsushi is and that akutagawa might gonna turn him to a vampire or just kill him

So yeah to sum it up the skkk nation reaction to this was "wow that gay" but more specific)

I had a terrifying realization about Bungo Stray Dogs..

No matter how many AUs or what’s written on the ‘page’ the story happens through Atsushi.. without him there is no story.

Who ever gets to him first can control the plot through him..

In Beast PM boss Dazai chose Atsushi over Akutagawa and we got the darkest timeline with the white reaper. He also kills the orphanage director thus allowing Mori to leave the PM and take over.

In Dead Apple it’s revealed he killed Shibusawa when he forcibly awoke the were tiger. When he remembers this and accepts the tiger he’s able to kill Shibusawa again. Only he can kill Shibusawa.

In season 1 everyone is after him and the huge bounty placed on him. Through this manhunt we are introduced to the port mafia and the guild.

In season 2 he stops the moby dick from crashing and saves the city. His words help to save Kyouka and she joins the agency. He proposes that the agency and mafia work together to defeat the guild.

Season 3 he has the idea to join up with the port mafia and stop the virus ability user. He once again works with Akutagawa and tells him that they’re the same in that they’re both hurting themselves in trying to prove people wrong and that Dazia will be proud of him once he lives his own life.

In season 4 he overhears that the decay of angels used a page from the book and it’s through him we learn that Ango is once again on the side of good.

In the manga because he was shot by Nathanial he discovers how much is left before the other side is written on. He informs the agency thus leading to them the airport.

I saw a post saying that Mori could very well choose Atsushi for the transfer. Imagine where the plot would go with the port mafia’s new pet.

In conclusion the character who wants to control the plot needs Atsushi to do so.. who ever gets to him first.. wins

Why Atsushi is my favourite protagonist of all time - the essay

Some time ago I said I was going to write an essay on this subject and I was partially joking (because I have no idea how to write a proper essay) and partially being serious because he means so much to me, it's getting out of hand. Also, at this point, the manga and the anime have kinda become interchangeable, so this analysis will be a blend of both. Moreover, I haven't read "55 minutes" yet (I know, I know, I gotta do it one fateful day) and because of that, it won’t cover this light novel. But I'll mention "Beast" briefly.

Anyway, I finally snapped, so here's the promised essay:

Ever since I've seen the first few minutes of the first episode of bsd, I've known that Atsushi was going to become one of my favourite characters and he quickly became my favourite protagonist of all time. Funnily enough, just this first episode was enough for him to rise to the top of my favourite protagonists list and he kept his position ever since. What makes him so special is an interesting combination of characteristics and the way they're treated within the narrative.

It's no mystery that Atsushi isn't physically the strongest main character. There is a natural tendency for the protagonist to have a raw physical strength because they need to carry the story [damn I just started and I already cannot help but make puns]. And yeah, Atsushi has his ability which is in fact extremely powerful, but he doesn't really use it in an offensive manner, rather it's an aid of protection for him. I've been thinking about his usage of the Beast Beneath the Moonlight and he usually uses it to add strength to his legs and arms to either run faster, jump higher or protect himself from the enemy. Being able to turn into a huge weretiger seems like a perfect offensive ability and yet Atsushi uses it mostly as a way to regenerate or save the people. Using it to jump from the train to save Kyouka and carrying Akutagawa in that tunnel are just 2 ways he's used it in a creative manner to save others.

That doesn't mean he never fights directly because if he has no choice, he will fight back. It's especially effective if there's another person on his side e.g. Atsushi and Kyouka fighting Akutagawa on the ship or Shin Soukoku fights with Fitzgerald, Goncharev and partially Fukuchi (I mean their plan was a good one, it's not their fault that Fukuchi has a time-travelling sword). Many main characters tend to have one-on-one fights with enemies and win them but being alone is actually one of Atsushi's weaknesses. It makes fights more interesting because apart from kicks and punches, there has to be an element of some cooperation with allies. He's definitely not a small little meow meow that fandom sometimes tends to make him out to be (I have no problem with fanon Atsushi sometimes you need to simplify things for a joke to land, it's just imporant to remember than canon and fanon Atsushi differ in many ways and he's canon version is more willing to use violence when needed) and can fight for himself and the people around him.

He tends to be given shit by other characters for not being strong enough ("Your tiger is strong, but you are not" for example) but that's not entirely true either. The thing about Atsushi is that he's kinda just a regular 18-year-old with a messed up childhood who has no prior training in any way. Other characters had at least some training or experience in fights but Atsushi used to be a victim of abuse who was bullied by everyone in the orphanage and that's it. Nobody has taught him how to fight, the proper stance, nothing. He's also just learned about his ability in the first chapter, so he still doesn't know what he's truly capable of. Taking that into consideration, he's a damn good fighter. He learns and adapts to new situations or dynamics quickly, is able to react fast and acts on instincts (i.e. catching the bullet using his teeth). He's just as strong as any other hero with no training and develops in a realistic pace. Expecting a teenager who's barely making it in life to be an excellent fighter right off the bat is quite a big expectation. We're used to that due to other main characters being very powerful (sometimes even overpowered) but that doesn't mean it has to be the standard. Atsushi is developing at a steady pace and that's more than fine.

Something that Asagiri is certainly wonderful at is making the characters realistic in a way that they feel like real people and have fun and normal personalities and Atsushi is not exception. When it comes to the personality, he's mostly quiet and awkward but not in an annoying or over the top way that some awkward characters tend to be (just a regular teenager). However, on the other hand he's willing to start shit and argue with people (mostly with Akutagawa). He can be pretty stubborn too like when Kunikida was trying to stop him from taking Kyouka in and Atsushi still fought for her. His stubbornness also has a negative side like when he doubts Akutagawa because he doesn't believe he can change or cooperate. He's also more often than not scared of his opponents in some way and sometimes it impacts the way he fights which is a cool thing to see (it certainly helped me connect with him and understand his point of view). He's afraid of taking risk and when he puts this fear aside and shows his courage, he's able to do great stuff. Most of the time, he's more likely to act on his bravery when someone else's safety is at risk, such as when he wanted to leave the Agency to protect it from the Port Mafia. Leaving the ADA would mean having to fight the PM alone but Atsushi was ready to sacrifice his own safety for the people he's just met.

Another thing that caught my attention right away is the fact that at first he's not even trying to be heroic. When we meet him for the first time he wants to help the ADA catch the tiger because they offer him money. It's such a simple motivation, but I just can't help but enjoy it when characters do something just for money not because they feel the need to help but because they need money to survive. It's such a logical motivation for a person who was starving an hour ago to join someone because of the payment. And I'm glad that the payment argument isn't just a one time thing but comes up later on when Atsushi takes Kyouka to walk around Yokohama to show her the city all while carrying his little purse and dying inside because he has to pay so much for food (and yet he doesn't stop her and keeps giving her things because he's just like that - he's a very caring person who can sacrifice he's own comfort for others).

Since we're already talking about Atsushi's funny moments, Atsushi is freaking hilarious as a character. His morning phone panic lives in my head rent free and I always remember his NANI?! NANI?! NANI?! whenever I have to rush to pick up my phone. The panic. The butt wiggling. The MOSHI MOSHI like someone is going to shoot him if he doesn't pick up. And lastly, the fact that he'd probably never used a phone before, so it's understandable that he was panicking and afraid of doing something wrong. He's a very expressive person, so his facial expressions are amazing each time. 10/10. All the bsd characters have perfect reactions to different situations but confused Atsushi is always especially funny and the anime highlights this part of him quite well.

When discussing his personality it's also obligatory to talk about his kindness. Azura made an amazing analysis of this subject here so go read it (go right now, I'll wait). I'll come back to his inner dilemma later but for now I want to point out that he can also act selfishly, like when he didn't want to share his room with Kyouka at first (afterwards he agreed but wasn't on board right away) despite being the one who brought her into the Agency. And I really appreciate the fact that he's a fully fledged character who acts out and isn't always perfect. We need to remember that he's 18. Not as in "only 18" or "he should've been stronger by now" but just being an 18-year-old. A teenager whose brain is still developing, who's dealing with emotions, hormones and all that other stuff. It's easy to compare him to people like Akutagawa or Dazai who are 20 and 22 in order and say that he's not on the same level as they are, but 2 years can be a huge difference when you're a teenager and switch from one enviroment to the other. And come on, Akutagawa is still very moody at 20 and Dazai could use some more maturity at 22, so Atsushi isn't really lacking too much at 18 in comparison. For example, think about Dazai who had at least 3 years of experience of what it's like to live in the real world, a stable position and some friends and was still struggling emotionally in the Dark Era and he was the same age as Atsushi is now. After Atsushi experiences the world a bit more, he'll mature like any other person.

As a side note, Atsushi never got a chance to truly be immature and to act silly with friends. All the other characters had at least one friendship by the time they were his age, but he had nobody until he joined the Agency. It really haunts me that he was all alone with everyone at the orphanage bullying him for existing when Atsushi was obviously a good kid. He deserved so much love and friendship and yet got neither. The fact that he's connecting with the members of the ADA and they're becoming his family is very important to his development as a person. If he always had someone to count on, maybe he wouldn't be as traumatized as he currently is.

Atsushi's trauma is an extremely important part of his character and I'm really, really glad that Asagiri made it this way. Too many protagonists go through dramatic stuff and come out basically fine (it's brushed off). And it always leaves me confused as to why they don't show any mental consequences of such events. And then there's Atsushi who's struggling with his self-esteem and world perception. He has mental breakdowns, flashbacks from the past abuse and intrusive thoughts, all of which are often shown and they never feel like too much (I just wish the anime would show more variety when it comes to his flashbacks, but I get that getting kicked out of the orphanage and being told to go die in a ditch left the biggest impact on him). Often times, characters who are supposed to be weak constantly break down over the smallest things which can get annoying but Atsushi has valid reasons to be in that constant distress since multiple people are out to get him. He got thrown in the middle of the conflict between the ADA and the PM and it only got more intense from that point onwards. A good example would be when he had a breakdown in "Dead Apple" after he learned about his past and the way Shibusawa tortured him. Since the beginning, Atsushi had been worrying whether he had accidentally killed someone as a tiger and unlocking these memories was one of his fears coming true. Of course, it wasn't his fault in any way, but for him, it was still something hard to deal with emotionally. So it's no wonder he snapped. It was a strong reaction but a realistic one nonetheless.

It's also important to note that crying is quite a good coping mechanism and helps somewhat unleash all bottled-up emotions at once, so Atsushi crying throughout the series is a completely normal and natural response to all the stress and intense emotions he has to endure. It's not his fault that typically fictional characters who are supposed to be the main characters are only allowed to cry if something absolutely fucked up happens (which is kind of a problem on its own). I'd rather see my favourite character react in a healthy way that goes in line with how they were raised and the consequences of a certain adolescence than bottle-up emotions and never show typical signs of distress. Crying doesn't make anyone weak!

This is especially a problem when it comes to male characters overall who in some cases aren't even allowed to have any emotions (maybe besides anger and some sense of humour on a good day) by the narration. Male characters who show their emotions are a way to present a more healthy picture of masculinity and give a good example to people who interact with the story that it's okay to show emotions. And once again, he's 18. It's perfectly normal for a teenager to have strong reactions all the time. Taking that into consideration, I'd say that he's doing an amazing job trying to have a healthier mindset while still having to fight people who are much more experienced than he is. He's new to the Yokohama scene and is achieving so much. A few years from now (Yokohama time, not our real time), he's bound to become one of the strongest ability users out there and I really hope he's going to stay as kind as he currently is.

Another thing I'd like to talk a bit about is his moral dilemma, which is basically along the lines of "If I don't constantly prove that I'm a good person worthy of living, it means I'm bad and don't deserve good things in life". And I have no idea how relatable this statement is to the average viewer but for me personally, it hits hard. Even though Atsushi and I were raised in completely different circumstances and don't really have anything in common, I'm always going through the same internal turmoil and seeing this issue addressed within the first episodes made me fall in love with bsd. A dilemma like that deserves to be portrayed with care and attention and bsd doesn't shy away from talking about it. It made me really happy to see his interaction with Sigma when he didn't try to save him because he felt he needed to prove something, but because of his compassion. It means Atsushi is getting better at understanding himself and doesn't need to prove his worth all the time anymore. He allows himself to be and that's a development from his previous stance.

Seeing Atsushi actively working through his struggles gives me a lot of comfort. Since the first episode, I've kept calling him a good boy and a sweetheart, so when it was revealed how much he struggles mentally with the concept of being a good person, it surprised me quite a lot. A struggle like that is realistically a prominent part of simply existing around other people and thankfully, isn't brushed aside in bsd but even highlighted throughout the story and Atsushi's progress. He has better days and worse days. Sometimes he functions better, sometimes he breaks down, but he's slowly moving forward. Watching him navigate through his issues gives me comfort and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Again, I have no idea how many people struggle with their own sense of humanity and belonging, but it's more likely than not a universal thing, so it makes Atsushi somebody many viewers can especially relate to. And it isn't something I've seen a lot in the popular media, at least not to the extent of being one of the main conflicts.

It's a heavy and complicated issue and even the characters don't always understand where Atsushi is coming from like Dazai, who told him that the traumatic events he went through in the orphanage made him kind, which isn't true (however, it makes perfect sense that Dazai told him that considering Dazai's past. He told him what he believes in, but that doesn't mean he's correct). Trauma on its own just makes people traumatized and it's the people that have the power to choose to be kind like Atsushi does. The "Beast" universe shows quite well that Atsushi could've gone down a different path, so it's not the abuse that made him who he is, but Atsushi himself. And he doesn't get credit for that. A lot of time the orphanage director is the one who's credited for Atsushi's kindness and heroic behaviour but "Beast" proves that it's always been Atsushi's choice to be a good person despite the hatred and abuse he had to deal with in the orphanage. I couldn't name another character who has been going through this much for presumably 18 years (Atsushi was told that his parents treated him even worse than the people in the orphanage and we never learn if that's true) all by themselves and still ended up with so much kindness and strength. It shows that he's in fact more mentally strong than he's given credit for.

And Atsushi is also a really cool dude with an open mind. As shown in the beginning, he can spend quality time with every member of the ADA and make friends easily. It's an amazing skill for someone who had never had a friend before and wasn't even taught how to interact with others. He does judge people unfairly from time to time, which only proves that he isn't perfect and still has room to develop. But it doesn't stop him from trying his best and giving people chances like with Sigma, whom he so desperately wanted to save. I can't wait to see where the storyline is gonna go when it comes to Shin Soukoku because after he underestimated Akutagawa's morals, he had an existential crisis, so if (WHEN please WHEN not if) they meet again, both of them are certainly going to have different mindsets than they used to.

In conclusion, Nakajima Atsushi is a damn interesting protagonist. Even though he's mostly known for his kindness, he's a complicated person who has certain flaws that he's been working on throughout the series. He's an incredibly well-balanced character who can be both weak and strong depending on the situation, but in the end, doesn't give up and always tries his best. He's funny, he's able to connect with people around him and most importantly, he is in fact a relatable protagonist. He breaks down and works on his issues like any other person and often gets his ass kicked before he's able to come up with a solution to his problems. His development is organic and despite being a character with superpowers, everything about him still feels realistic. Dealing with PTSD (I don't think it's confirmed that he has PTSD, but it looks like it) is something many people struggle with and it impacts their lives greatly, so it makes sense for it to be a big part of his character. Atsushi slowly learns how to deal with it and how it's not all who he is. Since the beginning, Atsushi has been the one to make the choice to be kind and always try his best to save others not because of but despite his trauma. And I hope that one day, Atsushi will genuinely like himself for who he is because he deserves all the love in the universe.